Tarab Music
Tarab brings together music and the emotional response it creates. The Arabic word is often translated as ecstasy, enchantment, or transcendence.
For a wider range of traditions, browse the Arabic music collection.
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3:31Traditional Arabic Romantic Night Music Inspired By 40s Warm Tarab Atmosphere, Oud, Qanun
Music and its audience
The term can refer to singing, instrumental performance, poetry, and the emotional state they evoke. Listeners are part of the exchange: their response contributes to the shared performance experience. That relationship helps explain why tarab is described as an aesthetic as well as a musical tradition.
Tarab and Taarab
Taarab, with two a's, names a distinct tradition from East Africa's Swahili Coast, especially Zanzibar. It draws on Arabic, African, Indian, and other regional influences. Here, Tarab refers to the Arab aesthetic and repertoire.